Third Arrest Made In Killgore Murder Case

A third person was in custody Friday for allegedly taking part in the slaying of a 22-year-old North County military wife whose nude body was found dumped alongside a rural road in southern Riverside County last month.

Dorothy Grace Marie Maraglino, 36, was arrested at a downtown San Diego hotel on Thursday night and booked on suspicion of murder in the death of Brittany Killgore of Fallbrook, Sheriff Bill Gore announced.

"Maraglino's arrest was a result of information and evidence obtained during the ongoing investigation in this case," Gore said in a prepared statement. "No further information will be released at this time as the investigation continues."

Maraglino was being held at Las Colinas women's jail in Santee without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Killgore's body was found in a brushy area near Lake Skinner on April 17, four days after she went missing. Sheriff's officials have declined to reveal the cause of death, only saying she was a victim of "homicidal violence."

Also charged in the case are Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25, and Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Louis Ray Perez, 45. Both have pleaded not guilty to murder, and each remains jailed in lieu of $3 million bail.

Lopez was taken into custody at a Point Loma motel a few hours before Killgore's body was discovered. Authorities at the time said information obtained from the arrest led them to where the slain woman had been dumped.

Lopez apparently attempted suicide just prior to being arrested, leaving behind a note that has since been sealed by a judge. She was treated at a hospital before being booked.

Perez had been taken into custody two days earlier for allegedly stealing an AR-15 assault rifle from Camp Pendleton, where he is based. He was re-arrested in jail April 24 on suspicion of murdering Killgore.

On the night she disappeared, Killgore had plans to go out in downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter with Perez and another woman who canceled at the last minute, according to investigators. Killgore sent a text message later that night to a friend, saying she needed help, Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza said at Perez's arraignment.

Investigators subsequently contacted Perez, who said he had dropped off Killgore in downtown San Diego, when in fact he had been in Fallbrook at the time in question, according to Espinoza.

During a search of Perez's vehicle, detectives discovered the victim's blood and an undisclosed type of weapon, the prosecutor told a judge.

Authorities have not revealed the nature of the relationship between Killgore and the female suspects. However, all three women lived in Fallbrook, and property records showed Perez and Lopez had been roommates, living near the apartment Killgore shared with her husband. Also, locals told reporters Killgore and Lopez frequented the same bar.

Killgore filed for divorce from her Marine husband several days before her death. At the time, he was serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Killgore's family said she was in the process of moving to Pennsylvania to be with family when she went missing.

Following his wife's disappearance, Cory Killgore, 22, was granted leave to return from his overseas deployment. He has since spoken publicly about his late wife just once, saying in a statement that she was "beautiful beyond words" and that he was "devastated" by her loss.

"My duty to her memory is now to ensure her good reputation remains intact, and help law enforcement and prosecutors secure justice for the person or persons who took her away from me," he said.

The lance corporal also urged people to "honor my wife's name, and don't succumb to salacious gossip and rumor."

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